Amazon has laid off approximately 100 employees in its devices and services division, the team responsible for innovations such as the Kindle, Echo smart speakers, Alexa voice assistant, and the Zoox self-driving vehicle initiative. The move, confirmed by the company on Wednesday following a Reuters inquiry, is part of Amazon’s ongoing internal review to improve efficiency and better align resources with its evolving product roadmap.
A spokesperson stated that the job cuts represent a small portion of the division’s total workforce but declined to provide specific information about the departments most affected.
Efforts to Streamline Product Strategy
According to Amazon, these reductions are part of its broader strategy to simplify operations. “As part of our ongoing work to make our teams and programs operate more efficiently, and to better align with our product roadmap, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles,” the spokesperson noted.
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The decision follows Amazon’s restructuring efforts in 2023, which saw job cuts in teams working on Alexa and several other departments including its podcast platform Wondery, retail stores, and corporate communications units.
Alexa Overhaul and Leadership Directives
In February, Amazon introduced its most significant upgrade to Alexa in a decade, integrating generative AI features to improve conversational capability and automate user tasks. While this transformation reflects Amazon’s commitment to innovation, the company is also seeking cost-saving measures amid broader organizational changes.
CEO Andy Jassy has emphasized the need to reduce internal bureaucracy and optimize leadership structures, including initiatives to reduce management layers across teams.
Overall Workforce Still Growing
Despite the targeted layoffs, Amazon’s overall workforce has continued to grow. The company added approximately 4,000 new positions between Q4 2023 and Q1 2024, as reported in its latest earnings release.
Source: Reuters
